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1318: Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, USA

Mystery Worshipper: Abed-Nego.The church:Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, California, USA.Denomination: Episcopal Church in the USA.Comments: We have received comments on this report.
The building: There's no way that any visitor or tourist is going
to miss Grace Cathedral. It is set atop Nob Hill and is easily accessible
by cable car. There has been a Grace Church of one sort or another in San
Francisco since the days of the gold rush. The land on which the present
building sits was donated by the Crocker family, of railroad and banking
fame, after their Nob Hill mansion was destroyed in the great earthquake
and fire of 1906. Work began on the cathedral in 1928. Designed in the French
Gothic style by Lewis Hobart, who was instrumental in rebuilding much of
San Francisco after the tragedy of 1906, the cathedral was completed in
1964 as the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the United States. The church: Just about every age and race seemed to be represented
in this large congregation. In a city which embraces "all sorts and conditions,"
everyone is obviously made welcome in this community.The neighborhood: Well, it's just plain beautiful! Think of San Francisco
and immediately Nob Hill springs to mind, with its cable car line, lush
cascades of bougainvillea, and genteel apartment buildings with their wedding-cake
facades. We arrived very early, and so we spent time in the delightful little
park in front of the steps up to the main entrance of the cathedral. The
park was filled with parents and children playing games, and a group of
elderly Asian ladies exercising their muscles with sweeping, elegant gestures.
The cast: The celebrant was the Rev. Mark E. Stenger, canon precentor,
assisted by the Rev. Margaret Deeths, deacon. The preacher was the Rev.
Anthony Turney, and Kathryn Kirkpatrick served as lay assistant. Music was
provided by the men of the cathedral choir led by Dr Jeffrey Smith, director
of music.The date & time: May 28, 2006, 11.00am and again at 3.00pm.

What was the name of the service?
The Holy Eucharist and (later the same day) Evensong.

How full was the building?
For the eucharist the cathedral was pretty well full – around 600 people,
I'd say. Evensong was a more intimate affair, with 30 or so congregants.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
A friendly "Good morning!"

Was your pew comfortable?
Comfortable modern seating.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Surprisingly quiet and attentive for such a large crowd. A strangely disembodied
children's choir were making some pretty interesting sounds, but we had
to strain to hear what they were singing. Although they were not announced
in the bulletin, we later learned that they were visiting from Oregon. It
was a nice gesture to invite them to sing before the service, but I wished
I'd known who they were and what they were performing ahead of time.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"Alleluia! Christ is risen." We were treated to a stunning musical opener
from the choir in procession. It was Psalm 47 sung to a chant by FC Mann
– a terrific arrangement, beautifully sung.

What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The 1982 Hymnal and 1979 Book of Common Prayer.

What musical instruments were played?
A superb organ.

Did anything distract you?
My eye kept going back to the mission statement at the beginning of the
order of service. It seemed so woolly and touchy, feely.
"We believe in one God, known to us in Jesus Christ, also known by different
names in different traditions... We are a house of prayer, worship and
service for everyone, welcoming all who seek an inclusive community of love."
I much prefer the "I believe" of the historic creeds to this kind
of stuff!

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or
what?
The eucharist was very formal – incense and all – and quite
high church. But where was the confession? In the final prayer we asked
God to "send us forth a people forgiven," but without a prayer of absolution
that might be difficult to achieve! The evensong was in the finest British
cathedral tradition, with some excellent singing from the men of the cathedral
choir. It was held in the stunning Chapel of Grace. The service setting
was by John Shepherd, and the anthem was Byrd's Viri Galilaei.
The singers showed a wide vocabulary of musical emotion, from an upbeat
Magnificat and a mellifluous Nunc dimittis, to some splendidly
energetic Byrd to end the proceedings.

Exactly how long was the sermon?
10 minutes.

On a scale of 1-10, how good was the preacher?
7  Excellent public speaker, well-prepared and easy on the ear.

In a nutshell, what was the sermon
about?
(This sermon can be heard on the cathedral's website.) In the Gospel for
the fifth Sunday of Easter, we are forced back to the upper room. On the
night of his betrayal, Jesus prayed for those who believed in him –
not those who planned to kill him. We are called to stick up for God, to
love our enemy, turn the other cheek, to pick up our cross and to sell all
that we have. That's why Jesus prayed for us. We are called into "rough
company." Being a Christian can come at great cost. Think of believers in
North Korea or Palestine or Northern Ireland. Think, too, of gay Christians.
Too many Christians spend more time thinking about what they are not, rather
than what they are. Twenty-five years ago, HIV AIDS was first diagnosed.
Two hundred people from this place have died. But people left this safe
space and visited them in their sickness. That's why Jesus prayed for us.

Which part of the service was like being in
heaven?
Being in such a beautiful building, listening to and participating in lovely music, and knowing that hundreds of people, like me, want to join together in a great act of worship.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
The applause offered to the children from Oregon who sang before the service
was enbarrassingly unneccessary. And there was one very bumpy moment in
the proceedings – the notices. They were long and tedious. Surely
all this information can be more easily assimilated by the members in printed
rather than spoken form. What's more, since probably quite a high proportion
of the congregation were visitors, the whole procedure is an irrelavency.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
From the direction in which the crowd was moving, we were obviously headed
toward a substantial coffee hour near the exit to the cathedral. I wished
it had been signed more clearly, but we simply followed the folks. We enjoyed
conversations with a number of parishioners, including a charming gentleman
who stood behind a stall specially set up for newcomers.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
I was so engaged in conversation I forgot to take any libation! Besides,
at the time, lunch seemed more to the point... And we intended to come
back for evensong.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
9  This is my kind of cathedral!

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Very much so!

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
That San Francisco is not only a beautiful city to look at, it's an even more beautiful city in which to worship.

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